Back To The Evolutionary Drawing Board

You've probably heard about the landmark trial taking place this week in Dover, Pa., where the school district is the first in the nation to require its schools to teach intelligent design in a science classroom. That's why eight families are suing the Dover School district for violating the separation of church and state. And while Dover, Pa. is the only district currently embroiled in a widely publicized trial, it's certainly not the only one working to undermine science in the classroom. A new report released today identifies the top 10 danger zones in the country where science and science education is under attack.

You know about Dover, and maybe about Kansas. But what about Ohio, where the state board of education approved a curriculum plan titled "A Critical Analysis of Evolution"? Or Cobb County, Ga., where stickers are placed on textbooks, warning that "This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact." The report detailing these cases was released by Defconamerica.org, a new grassroots organization that's working to combat the religious right's growing power. The group also sent a letter signed by a long list of Noble laureate scientists and clergy members to all 50 state governors, calling on them to defend science education in America's public schools.

"The idea of 'teaching the controversy' is a fraud," Laurence Krauss, director of the Center for Education and Research, said in a conference call today. "There is no controversy. Science is independent of religion. It does not attack it."